Limitless Worlds

Thursday, November 28, 2013

I've decided to work on a setting for B&T, though it will be generic enough to work with basically any fantasy RPG. It's based on real world cultures on a psuedo-Earth known as Terra. Below is one of the nations, The Endless Chain, which is a mix of Polynesia and the Caribbean. Yes, I realize the Razor Coast does this very well, but I thought I'd add in my own spin. The setting will have 23 nations in total, as well as detailing the Darklands (Underdark/Hollow Earth) and the Planes (which will also be the Solar System).

I may condense the information, as my goal is to make each country have two pages max (my dream was 1 page max, but I don't know how possible that is). Also, this draft is rough; I'll come back and edit it, make it more fantastic and so on.

For the other nations mentioned in the text, Qin Chi is like Qin China, Kokahn is similar to Kahn Mongolia, the Silk Shogunate is a techno-revolution imperial Japan, the Steamlands is the dark, dinosaur filled jungles of Central Africa, and St. Fernando is a pastiche of Mediterranean religious conqueror states including Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. Terah, Saharamir, Jumah and Nordov are continents, with the only one not being mentioned being Avadon. The Endless Chain is technically part of Jumah.

Anyway, enjoy!

The Endless Chain

Geography

The Endless Chain, oftentimes called just "The Chain," is a giant archipelego situated
in the Great Sea, the huge body of water that touches Terah, Saharamir, Jumah and Nordov.
The Great Sea itself is dangerous, with dangerous weather patterns and deadly sea creatures
such as sharks and krakens. The islands of the Chain are relatively unexplored for two reasons, the first being a large coral reef called the Kraken's Teeth that has long blocked off the largest part of the Chain.
The other reason is that the islands of the Chain move through the waters like slow boats, with only
a few staying stationary. The islands are full of hot jungles and deep marshes, as well as many active volcanoes. Fortune seekers from all over Terra flock to the Chain to tap into the old ruins and caves of the numerous islands, and they all flock to the port of Ford's Folly. Meanwhile, native Chain dwellers are either actively hostile against the colonists or are trying to preserve what little is left of their ancestral homes.

History

The native residents of the Endless Chain, who call themselves the Kane, have always dwelt among the beautiful islands. Among the waterfalls, valleys, jungles and mountains, they had a simple life trading between islands on their canoes and spending time on their native island among their kin. The Kane had plotted out many of the movements of the wandering islands, and even knew which ones contained wicked creatures to avoid.

About 30 years ago, a giant hurricane known as the Wrack Storm swept through Terra, hitting the Endless Chain fairly hard. Kane ships and towns were destroyed, but they did rebuild. However, the night after the Wrack Storm hit, the Kane of the island of Kua'a'toa found a giant ship unlike they had ever seen smashed into their shore.

The ship was a trading vessel captained by Jacob Ford, who was sending a shipment of rice between Kokahn and Qin Chi when he got caught in the storm. Looking for shelter, he found the infamous Kraken's Teeth had broken open, and beyond he saw calmer waters. However, a rogue wave made his vessel smash into the shore. At first, the Kane welcomed Ford with open arms and a general helping of suspicion, but after a week of rest, feasting and enjoying the company of Kane women, Ford was canoed back to the nearby Silk Shogunate.

The Kane thought they were rid of the foreign "haole," but a few months later, more ships even larger than Ford's started funneling in through the Teeth. And most of these people were not kind. Their ships bristled with cannons and black flags flapped on their masts.

In a matter of months, a huge port was build around Ford's crashed ship and was dubbed Ford's Folly.
Though the Kane tried to fight back, the haole's firepower was too much and drove them off the island. Now, the Chain runs rampant with trade and piracy, with Ford's Folly as the center, and all the Kane can do is either hide or wait for the right moment to strike back.

People

The Kane are a distinctive people, to say the least. They are strong, their skin toned and dark, continually lashed by the salt air. They have dark hair and dark eyes, and while they often grow their hair long, men rarely sport beards. Many mainland scholars believe them to be descendants of the Kokahn, but both the Kane and Kokahni find this very insulting. The Kane dwell in close knit clans, and though they wear little clothing, their skin is itched in intricate and meaningful tattoos. What clothing they do wear usually constitutes
as a cloth wrapping for men, or a cloth or grass skirt for women; both sexes rarely wear shirts. Jewelry is also common, made of sea life and volcanic rock, with nose and ear piercings being common to the extreme. Most Kane are hard to outsiders, but treat friends and family with love and respect. Families are small, but clans can be quite sizable. Aside from humans, there have been reports of elvish and halfling natives. Ford's Folly, on the other hand, is inhabited by almost every race and creed imaginable, which the Kane call the "haole," which means "one without a home."

Ford's Folly is made up of hundreds of crashed ships, with inns being made of old prows and the town lookouts dwelling in old crow's nests. Though smaller foreigner ports exist in the Chain, none can
reach the heights of the Great Folly. The port is always busy, bringing in trade goods from all across Terra, both legitimate and illegal. Ford's Folly has little government, and is often seen as a hive of piracy. Black market deals, tavern brawls, murder, prostitution and thievery run rampant with little regard for anyone's safety. Clothes in Ford's Folly are cosmopolitan and liberal, often featuring loose shirts and coats,
wide hats, comfortable pantaloons and low-necked dresses.

Adventurers from Ford's Folly are varied, as they can literally be from anywhere in the world. Adventurers of the Kane are rare, but they are often out to right some wrong done to them in the past. Many Kane wield spears, clubs, daggers or shark-tooth tipped halberds into battle, while their armor is composed of natural materials like obsidian, turtle shells and magically-treated grass

Culture

Ford's Folly is really the only major non-Kane city in the Chain, but the Kane have numerous cities throughout the islands. Usually constructed near the shore, their homes are often made of palm leaves and wood and rarely consist of more than a few hundred residents. Many clans leave each other alone, but clan wars do break out. Ever since the Kraken's Teeth were broken, though, many clans are trying to fight off the ever advancing pirates and colonists.

The art of the Kane is mostly in the tattoos and large totem poles placed around their village; more tangible forms of art rarely last in the high humidity. Music and dance is important, with intricate war chants, erotic hula dances and dangerous fire eating being amazing spectacles at clan feasts. Food of the chain usually consists of sea food, which is always plentiful, or wild boar, insects and birds hunted from the jungles. The art of Ford's Folly is bawdy and almost non-existent; fiddle music and shanties are popular songs, and the only real art is stolen from the Kane in the form of their tattoos and piercings. Their food is also fish based, but the various cultures of the "haole" have resulted in many fusions of the colonists' native dishes

Government

The ruling body of Ford's Folly is made of seven rulers known as the League, who are usually either retired pirates or merchant princes. The League is both rowdy and lazy, only arguing when money is an issue and waving away non-important issues. The only laws they actively enforce are the ones that will promote trade and better line their pockets. Most crimes are dealt with by imprisonment or exile, or possibly the removal of hands for major thefts. Very rarely are there "proper" executions, though members of the League have been known to murder people who commit crimes against them. The current League leader is the former captain Henry LaCroix, a Steamlands native turned pirate who made a killing in selling his own people into slavery until he lost his left arm in a kraken attack, forcing his retirement.

The Kane are mostly lead by a council of elders who convenes every season. They discuss matters important to all the Kane tribes, but they rarely pass laws or policies. Village elders are the true leaders, with their guards and warriors serving as police of sorts. The Kane are peaceful, so even minor slander of honor
can be seen as a crime, but most of their laws are vague and based on tradition instead of hard and fast rules. Most crimes are dealt with by corporal punishment, usually with whipping by reeds or having hot coals applied to skin. Executions are only reserved for murders, and usually result in either being thrown to sharks or being sacrificed to one of the numerous volcanoes of the islands.

Gazetteer

Ford's Folly - As said before, Ford's Folly is a haven of pirates and crime. A local haunt for scum looking
for work (or workers) is The Busty Orc, a large and rowdy tavern where a flaggon of mead only costs 2 cp. Zhang's Manegarie is Ford's Folly's imminent magic shop, owned by Qin Chi native Mu Zhang. The Black Anchor is a popular tattoo parlor, and the docks of the city always brim with ships carrying goods ranging from grains to whales to drugs.

Mt. Makua - The largest active volcano in the Chain, it's located about 100 miles north of Ford's Folly. It constantly belches out smoke, but a proper eruption has not happened in ages. Many native halflings live at the base of the mountain, though their skin is dark and their hair wild. The Kane call these halflings "menehune," and they dwell in the rocks of Makua and worship the mountain as a god. The Kane and the colonists fear them, but the menehune are just territorial.

Misery Falls - Located on one of the many wandering islands of the Chain, Misery Falls is what one dwarven scholar has called the "great failed experiment." Dwarven colonists found the rocks and slopes around the majestic waterfall full of gems, metals and building stone. However, they were assualted on all sides by Kane elves and wild animals. The dwarves struck a deal with the elves; if they protected the dwarves from the animals, the dwarves would provide all the food and riches the elves could want.
While they agreed, tempers soon flared when it was found that both parties were playing each other for fools. Now the hybrid city is at a civil war of sorts, with no real end in site.

Ho'kai'mai - Ho'kai'mai is the traditional homeland of the Kane, as well as what could be considered their "capital." The city is built in and around Ho'kai Bay, with the various buildings being built on pylons that hold the city above the waters. Travel is handled by canoe or swimming, and the Kane live in harmony with the sea life they swim with. The city is well defended as the side opposite the bay is full of dense and dangerous jungles that the Kane know like the back of their hand. It is here the council of elders convenes in the House of the Great Gods, the oldest native temple in the Chain. The Kane do not care for money, and their various market stalls use barter or trade. If the Kane accept you, you will have a difficult time finding a more welcoming city in all of Terra.

Wandering Isles - Though a large majority of the islands that skirt around the Endles Chain have been touched by the Kane, some have never had demi-human feet trod upon them. Deep in the jungles, swamps and mountains holds ancient civilizations of orcs, aboleths and drow. The stinking marshes hold entrances to the Darklands and even more fell places. These ancient ruins and cities not only abound with dangers, but riches. The wrecks of ships and pirate skeletons on the shore can attest to both facts. In between, the Great Sea is a dangerous place; pirates with all sorts of writs, allegiances and goals plow the channels for traders and enemies, striking and pillaging with abandon. Captain Redhawke is the most notorious pirate on the waters, a former paladin from St. Fernando that believes every ship he sinks brings him closer to divine glory.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

I thought it would be interesting if B&T had a system to ascend to godhood, and so I wrote one! It's rough, vague and narrative, but I think it is cool and can be easily used in any other system.

Godhood

Becoming a god is not the goal of every adventure, but sometimes their legend transcends them and they become something more than human. They may be mortal, but no mere mortal could have slayed a demon lord, could he? At times, the gods do take notice of a champion and decide to exalt them to that status of a god. If you are lucky enough for the gods to turn their eyes on you, here is how you become a celestial being.

Being Sponsored

You may have a loyal group of followers, and even some villagers who believe you to be a god due to your accomplishments. While you may feel divine, you aren't yet. The only way a mortal can become a god is if they are sponsored by another god. A god's sponsorship takes a lot out of your lord, so you best not dissapoint them.

There is no mechanical means to be sponsored. Sometimes a god will come to you, sometimes you will petition a god, or perhaps some artifact somewhere promises sponsorship for whoever retrieves it. Either way, you and the other players should discuss with the GM if godhood is right for you and the campaign's direction.

There are also no real requirements for sponsorship on the player's part. Though it is assumed the path to ascension begins at level 20, you could even begin as fledgling gods at level 1. Once again, talk to your GM about the details.

Your patron god will mold you, influence you and teach you the ways of godhood. You'll directly report to them, and they will hold you accountable for straying along the Path. The Purview you gain in the Flame step is usually related to your patron in some way; if your patron is the god of fire, you may gain a purview
of lava, or if you are ballsy, a purview of fire to directly compete with your teacher.

Divine Steps

The path to divinity is long and winding, and often called the Flaming Road. At the start of the Road, you are just a divine Spark eager to realize your true power. Eventually through hard work, you will reach full Radiance and become a true god. To proceed down this path, you need followers.

Followers

Followers are those mortals that believe that you are a god, or at least believe you can rise to the ranks of one. You can attract followers a number of ways, but the easiest way is by word of mouth to spread your Legend. Sometimes you'll do this by yourself, and other times allies or regular followers will spread your Legend.

Once a month, you will roll to see if your Legend has spread and how much. For every step on the Flaming Road, you have a base 5% chance, as well as a further 5% chance per 5 class levels you have. The GM will offer other modifiers, such as having witnesses to the event or physical proof. The Legend chance can never rise above 99%. If you roll equal to or under your Legend chance, your Legend has spread. This attracts 1d10 followers times a number depending on your step on the Flaming Road (1 for Spark, 10 for Ember, 100 for Flame, 1000 for Inferno, 10,000 for Radiance).

Losing Followers

Just as you can gain followers, you can lose them. Perhaps you do an unfavorable deed, or a rival god steals away some of your followers. Losing followers should not be randomly rolled, though the amount lost should be. If losing followers ever dips a potential god down a step on the Flaming Road, they lose all the benefits
of the step they fell out of and must regain them once they reach enough followers.

Flaming Road Steps

The Flaming Road has 5 steps, and going along them requires you to have a certain number of followers. Followers empower you with their belief, tithes and ceremonies, and the more you have the more powerful you become. When you start out as a Spark, you do not need to have any followers, but becoming Radiant
requires recognition across the world. Below are the requirements to reach each step.

Even in modern times, a religion having 100,000 followers is nothing to scoff at. However, in countries with medieval level populations, having 100,000 followers could easily mean a huge majority follows you

Every step down the Flaming Road brings benefits, which are listed below. In addition, whenever you reach a new step, you can increase two of your attribute
scores by 1 point each. Each attribute can only be increased twice, however.

Spark - You gain a divine sense. If you concentrate for 10 minutes, you can hear any prayers from your followers. You can "zero in" on these prayers, allowing you to know where the prayer is coming from, no matter how distant. For example, you could sense a villager pleading for your help as he is being dragged into the wilderness by gnolls, and you could tell the general area he was in when he made the prayer.

Ember - You can twist fate, causing something to occur that was not supposed to. You can alter a minor event once a day, a major event once a week and a world-changing event once per year. A minor event would be something like not dropping a weapon or making a failed spell cast succesffully. A major event would be something like saving a life, preventing a building from being destroyed or curing an illness. A world changing event would be stopping the advance of an empire, striking down a lich lord and so on.

Flame - You have gained a purview, also called a domain, that you have control over. This could be something as broad as fire to something as narrow as dogs. You gain a new Heroic Task known as Purview that you are skilled in, and both the Save and Attribute modifier it requires should be discussed with your GM, as each Purview will be different. Your Purview should be related to your character; if your magic user was a fell necromancer and suddenly wanted to gain the Purview of Life, that should be a hard sell.

Whenever you want to do anything involving your Purview, you roll a Heroic Task with difficulty modifiers applied based on the complexity of the task. If a character with the Purview of Birds wanted to just speak with a bird, no modifier should be applied. However, if he wanted to summon a whole flock of griffins to attack a castle, he should expect a pretty hefty penalty. Gods on the Flaming Road are not meant to be all-powerful; they still have flaws and foibles, and they can't always do exactly what they want, or even have the ability to do it.

Inferno - You can invest your power in items and people. Investing your power in an item creates an artifact that you and the GM design jointly, and this is the only way for a character to create such a powerful magic item. Creating an artifact drains you, preventing you from making another artifact for at least a year, possibly longer if the artifact is especially dangerous.

Investing your power in a person gives them sponsorship, just like your patron gave you. You can only have one "student" at a time, and you can't get a new one until they reach the Flame step

Radiance - Your journey along the Flaming Path is complete, and you have become a god. You are effectively immortal; if you are killed, you will return after a week no worse for wear. You also gain a godhome, a celestial (or infernal) palace where your followers will dwell in the afterlife and you can rest at. You gain a cadre of angelic (or demonic) servants, usually 1 for every 100 followers you have. From your godhome, you can travel to any place on the planes where you can hear your follower's prayers. Groups of adventurers often form their own pantheon and share a godhome, but the mechanics are the same.

Alternatively, you can choose to ascend. You become a pure spiritual being who dwells forever in your godhome, but you become an NPC. If their is any "end game", you have reached it.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

I'm really enjoying how easy it is to make a race for Owl Hoot Trail. Thus, here are a few more!

Scalies

Scalies are from way down south in the hot parts of the Earth, living in the deserts, jungles and swamps. While they usually look like big ol' humanoid lizards, they can look like any reptile or amphibian ranging from gators to frogs to snakes. Scalies have a lot of old and weird gods they love to pray to, and they are usually dressed in feathers and grass. Their cities are huge and old.
Scalies are often gunslingers,scoundrels, scouts, preachers and shamans.
Scalies get +1 DRAW and +1 Wilderness. Scalies are cold blooded, and they can function in extreme heat and cold without much protection.

'Digos

Short for wendigos, digos are human-like folk that are covered in fine tufts of fur. They also usually have jagged teeth and sharp claws. 'Digos are from way up north, calling the mountains and the arctic their home. Some people think they are related to lycanthropes, but the 'digos ain't talking.
'Digos are often gunslingers, marshals, ruffians, scoundrels, scouts and shamans.
'Digos get +1 GRIT and +1 Wilderness. 'Digos are an angry folk, suffering a -2 to Amity. In exchange, they can get angry once a day, causing +2 damage for the rest of a scene. They also have natural claws that deal 1d6 damage.

Fae

The fae are thought to be distant ancestors to the shee, coming from the birthplace of all shee. Fae look like their pointy ear cousins, and yet they don't. They are more regal, tall and aloof. Some are full of the beauty of the wild, others are darkened by shadow, and still others gaze longingly at the stars.
Fae are often gunslingers, marshals, scouts, shamans and mentalists.
Fae get +1 WITS and +1 Amity. Fae can teleport to short distances they can see once per scene.

Morphs

Morphs, sometimes called changelings, are spooky creatures. They look like humans, except their facial features are muted and barely there. They don't even have pupils, which can rustle some peoples spurs. A lot of myths show up where a morphs will kill a person and impersonate them forever, but morphs don't usually do that.
Morphs are often gunslingers, scouts, scoundrels, mentalists and gadgeteers.
Morphs get +1 GRIT and +1 Wile. Morphs can make themselves look like any other humanoid varmint for up to 4 hours. The problem is they have to touch the poor sucker to assume their form.

Pix

Little sprite folk, pixs are tiny little buggers, only ever reaching about 3 feet tall. They have a set of wings on their backs; they usually look like butterfly wings, but they can be any kid. Pix are often seen as "annoying" and "ignorant", but all they want to do is have some fun. Sometimes the fun can make someone dead, though.
Pix are often gunslingers, scouts, scoundrels, shamans and mentalists.
Pix get +1 DRAW and +1 Wile. Pix are fairly frail, so they are Sickly 1. In exchange, their quickness gives them+1 to their defense score. They are also able to fly short distances, though they can't attack while flying.